


Literacy

by LumianaKatenke



Category: Original Work
Genre: Demons, Gay, Gay Romance, M/M, Original Characters - Freeform, Original Fiction, Original Mythology, Original Species Called Demons Really, Original Story - Freeform, Original Universe, Original World, Original work - Freeform, Short Story, Will Turn Into Full Length Novel, final draft, sorta - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-19
Updated: 2019-05-19
Packaged: 2020-03-08 01:16:36
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18885166
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LumianaKatenke/pseuds/LumianaKatenke
Summary: Hey all! As promised, here is the final drafted copy! I hope you enjoy this because I will be turning this into a full length novel! That's right, this is my first original work that will actually be expanded upon! Don't worry, I'm going to update my fanfics too. Anyway, refresher of the plot is below, I hope you enjoy!Lyeff Malik is the Prince and sole heir to the throne of his slowly dying species. One day he is framed for being cause of their species decline and is forced to flee for his own life from his own people to the human plane. Once there, he takes on a human alias and lives as a normal human until he meets Alex, a male human college student.





	Literacy

**Author's Note:**

> Yes this is partially where I disappeared to, that and also I finished up my final semester at my 2 year school! Woo! Yep I graduated! :D I'm also transferring to a four year college this fall to finish up my bachelors! I'll post more with the next BillDip update. :3

Lyeff sighs in relief as he slumps to the floor of the barn. His skin still stung like it was covered in fire ants from his shift into a human form. A simple but painful and draining spell in this world but he had no choice. If he was to blend into human society, he couldn’t exactly go strutting around as a 7ft tall black, silver and gold demon with six arms and a pair of dragon-like wings, now could he. Instead he was almost a full foot shorter and had blonde hair like spun gold, his skin a tamer shade of very dark brown and his three blue serpentine eyes had become two normal human ones.  
He shivered, just realizing that he was still naked as the draft finally penetrated the stinging of his softer human skin. The demon looked around the barn slowly, looking for something that he could wear. He already missed his soft blue robes but he had shed them in favor of escaping notice from his pursuers. After all, blue was the rarest color in their home and only the royals or sub-royals of their species were allowed to wear it as a symbol of their status.  
Personally he thought it was kind of dumb but he did love the color so he simply resigned himself to try to make a change once he was made the king. Guess that’s never going to happen now. After a few minutes of searching he found an abandoned pair of what he believed were called ‘overalls’ from his studies of the human plane.  
They were faded and partially smelled a little bit like urine but he didn’t really have much of a choice, for the time being at least. He was cold and knew that nakedness was not permitted in public in this world since human reproductive organs were easily visible unlike a demon’s. With a sigh of resignation, he donned the rank overalls and promised himself to find something at least clean as soon as he figured out where he was.  
In case he ran into humans, who questioned his... well, questionable attire, he already had a cover story. He had never been more grateful of his interdimensional instructor’s painstaking (and annoying) attention to his lessons about the human plane. It might just mean the difference between life and death now.  
After some more searching, he discovered that the barn was apparently abandoned, a thick layer of dust coating most of the interior, which explained why there was so little to be found in here, no hay, no animals, just rusty equipment, rotten wood and dust. He sneezed. So. Much. Dust.  
With a sigh, he made his way to the door of the barn and carefully wedged it open enough to peak outside. Well no wonder it was so cold, there was... Snow? He believed it was called? That white frozen water that fell from the... He looked up and his thoughts froze as he stared in awe at the sight before him. It was night time, and the sky, so different to that of his home, was like a dark navy blue blanket dotted with specs of silver, gold, orange and many other colors that were distant stars.  
He had never seen stars before.  
He could even see the band that the humans called the Milky Way, which was part of the galaxy that they existed in.  
For those few minutes as he was exposed to the human world for the first time, he couldn’t tear his gaze from the exquisite tapestry above him, mind blank as he drank it in. He forgot about the cold, the danger he was in, everything was quiet.  
Finally, he felt his body begin to shudder, bringing his attention back from the starry skies above to his freezing body on Earth. Shaking his head and rubbing his arms against the cold, he looked around for anything. He spotted a dilapidated building on the other side of the starlit field but nothing else, so he assumed that it must be the abandoned farmhouse that paired with the barn. At the very least, he could rest there for the night, and maybe find some cleaner clothes to wear and a way to figure out where he was on the Earth.  
Quickly he started the trudge to the farmhouse, his bare feet sinking into snow that reached up to his midcalves. He had barely been exposed to this world but he can already say that: he did NOT like the snow. After a very chilly trek, he finally reached the ramshackle building and wandered around its degraded exterior to find a point of entry.  
There were a couple doors and windows but they were locked, however he soon enough found a set of doors that lay almost parallel to the ground and guessed that they lead down to what must have been the ‘cellar’ .These doors were, thankfully, rotted enough that he could easily break the lock, allowing him to enter the building. He closed the doors behind him with a loud creak to keep out most of the draft and looked around. It was pitch black but he could see just fine even with human eyes.  
The place was a mess, plain and simple, boxes of half rotten cardboard and random junk was strewn around the slightly cramped space so he had to carefully pick his way through the minefield of junk.  
Occasionally he peeked inside a box or two but found nothing of interest, most of it being rotten memorabilia for some sport or another, or children's toys that were covered in cobwebs. It took him a little while to find the stairway up into the house but eventually he did and was lucky since it was unlocked. Opening the door, he peered around and found that the inside wasn’t in as rough of shape as the outside and it wasn’t terribly cold at the least.  
He found himself in what must be a ‘kitchen’ and closed the cellar door behind him, starting to look around for something that could tell him where he was. He found some old, half faded calendars that were obviously too old to give him a clue as to the current date but it at least gave him the current century in human time.  
Time.  
What a strange concept. It had baffled him in his youth, how could you measure something that didn’t exist after all? But his teacher had been adamant that he learned, should he have a chance to reopen greater trade opportunities with the humans once more like his father had long before Lyeff had been born. Begrudgingly, he had done his best to learn and, while not exactly a master, he could at the very least keep track and understand it enough to be able to interact with humans.  
Again, he had a reason to be grateful to his instructor and knew they would be laughing their tail off right now if they hadn’t been killed while on a diplomatic mission. After a long time he found a... Phone book, he believed it was called? And small slips of paper with English writing on it that must be mail, since it had ‘addresses’ on it. Ok so he was in... Salem, Massachusetts.  
Odd, wasn’t there a legend about this place? Eh whatever, he’d find out later. Now he at least knew where he was and a general century (at least the 21st), so he could finish gaining his bearings, find some clothes and figure out how to create himself an identity. With that in mind, he explored the rest of the house and found a couple of nesti- bedrooms. Right, they called them BEDrooms here, not NESTINGrooms. Such odd creatures.  
Well he supposed if they preferred sleeping on padded boards rather than cozy nests than they really couldn’t call them nestingrooms anyway. Ugh, having to adjust to this new vocabulary was going to be tricky. Why was English so limited but so diverse anyway? And so focused on such base things like mating and insults, most of which were based off of derogatory terms that... weren’t really insulting when one really thought about it. Or very creative. Once again, focused on mating or reproductive organs for the most part. Or fecal matter, or their subclasses of their species that they called ‘race’.  
At least some of the other human languages had more entertaining insults, like the German insult Schweinehund which literally meant pig-dog. See, there was an interesting insult that wasn’t related to fecal matter, mating or ‘race’. Honestly Lyeff wished he had ended up in this ‘Germany’ instead. The humans there sounded MUCH more interesting and if he was going to be stuck on this plane he should at least be able to like the humans that he was around. Maybe once he was established in this new society he could migrate there.  
He shakes his head to clear out the thoughts. He had more pressing matters to worry about at the moment, such as getting clothing and figuring out where he was and how to get situated. Reoriented with his goal, he searched for a ‘bedroom’ and after some time, managed to find some clothes that weren’t half eaten by moths or smell like an animal had defecated in them but also fit his human form. At least, mostly. The shirt was a bit tight, but bearable.  
With the clothing situation sorted, he decided to get some rest and continue in the Light Cycle. The demon made a nest out of the shredded clothes that didn’t reek as well as some cushions and blankets, curled up into a ball and quickly fell asleep, exhausted from fleeing for his life, the magic it cost to cross into the human plane AND to change forms. The poor thing had no idea that his hardships were only beginning.  
\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Over the course of the next few years, Lyeff Malik, prince of demons and sole heir to the throne of his species, became Lyeff Runar, a quiet human man who lived in a small one room apartment in Boston, Massachusetts near the University of Boston. He found work in a small library with an attached bookstore as primarily a shelver but also did any other small jobs he was asked to do around the place. He didn’t mind though, and his bosses, a sweet elderly couple name Angie and Annette, would always pay him a little extra whenever he did.  
At first the blonde demon had struggled with adjusting to his new environment. After he had left the abandoned farm the morning after his arrival, he had hiked his way to an old, mostly disused road, and journeyed to the nearest town. Once he had arrived, he was quickly picked up by some of the ‘police’ who were concerned by the state of his appearance and lack of proper ‘winter’ clothes. When prompted, he gave them his cover story, that he had been kidnapped and woken up in an abandoned barn naked. That he had no knowledge of his captors and had been unconscious for the majority of the ordeal and was having difficulty remembering a few things like the date and where he lived.  
The police had him file a report and then took him to the small town’s health clinic to see if he needed any immediate medical attention. After a lot of lying and manipulation with some magic over their electronic records, he managed to create a human identity.  
So Lyeff Runar was born, in a sense. He was 22, had a High School graduation certificate, born in Washington State, and whatever other nonsense he needed to pass as a normal human. He ended up staying in the small town for a couple of days before he heard that the barn he had arrived in had gone up in flames. Welp, that was his cue to get out of town! He was given some money by the sweet elderly woman he had been staying with when he told her that he was leaving to make his way back home in Washington. He felt a bit guilty about lying to her, but he could not risk her spilling his true destination should the ones after him find the old lady.  
After he left, he mostly hopped around from town to town, only staying for a few days in either a cheap ‘hotel’ or in a abandoned building. It took him a few weeks to learn how to read his human body’s signals for things like hunger, a need to urinate and the like. He was not used to such a high maintenance body. Finally, he reached Boston about 1 year after he first arrived to the human plane. When he reached the city he found himself in the perfect place to blend in and quickly located a cheap, small one bedroom apartment and then his job at the library, determined to stay low and unnoticed for the most part.  
Unfortunately for him... He was apparently ‘attractive’ to the humans who stopped by the store and often tried to flirt and/or ‘ask him out’ and despite his best efforts, there was always a new one at least once a week. He was not sure what qualified him as ‘attractive’, having no concept of a human’s idea of attractiveness. Every time he tried to gently turn them down, not interested in courting a human, especially when he was most likely still being hunted (every now and then he would hear about some kind of disaster befalling a town he had stayed in before, but they had slowly petered out well before they neared the city) by demon bounty hunters, human demon hunters, and who/whatever else was sent after him by his own ‘family’.  
He didn’t want to drag a human into this and put them at risk, as well as make it more difficult to just pack up and leave on short notice without leaving a huge void behind should he be discovered. He needed to remain unattached and he was fine with that. All he wanted was to live out his self-imposed exile in peace and quiet. If someday he thought that he was a bit more secure, maybe. Maybe. Then he would consider taking a human mate. After all, these creatures only lived about between 80 and 100 years on average, which was barely even a fraction of his own lifespan.  
Such... odd, little creatures they were...  
The demon had been sure of this choice for a couple years after his arrival in Boston, believing that he had no interest whatsoever in the humans as anything more than friends at most. Until one day, that is, a human that he met by chance would change his worlds forever.  
Lyeff was busy shelving some returned books when he heard a polite clearing of a throat, almost sounding awkward and unsure. He turned, a thick old lame romance novel that depicted the heroine being held dramatically by an overly muscular man with wolf ears. How it was checked out at least once a week he would never know. The young man that had gotten his attention was slightly shorter than him, his short curly brunette hair reminded him of the spun brown obsidian blankets from his home in the Capital of Canticum Quattor. Fluffy and almost translucent in its color. He also had green eyes that looked like the emeralds in his father’s crown, large and deeply colored orbs that held great knowledge and tanned skin that was likely the result of a lot of time spent in this world’s sun. The customer wore a simple blue flannel shirt and black jeans, contrasting Lyeff’s grey dress pants and collared yellow shirt.  
“Yes? Is there something I can help you with?” Crap he hoped that didn’t sound like he was annoyed, this English language was so tricky to communicate with.  
The customer’s face reddened a little in what was probably embarrassment. “Y-yeah I was wondering if you had a copy of De Vita Populi? The woman at the front desk said you’re the one responsible for the rare books.”  
Lyeff set down the book in his hands back on the cart and brushed off his hands. “Well I believe we do but I am required to ask for what purpose you wish to use the book for, can’t let just any Joe Schmo off the street get possibly sticky fingers on rare books.” That was the term people used for thieves, right?  
The brunette’s face grew a little more red. “O-oh u-um... I-I’m a college student and I need to u-use it for a research paper...” The demon hums and nods. “Sure no problem, I meant no offense, we’ve just lost a few rare books in the past like that so we have to make sure that they’ll actually be used. I’ll have to stay with you while you use it though, for the same reason.”  
The human nods, slowly relaxing his shoulders, which had gradually been drawn upwards towards his neck. “I-I understand um...” Oh. Right.  
“Lyeff, Lyeff Runar.”  
He smiles kindly down at the human, extending a large hand in the human custom of greeting. “A pleasure to make your acquaintance...”  
“Oh! I-I’m Alex Jones. It’s nice to meet you too.” Alex smiles a bit shyly up at the taller male, taking the other’s offered hand and shaking it firmly before releasing it. Lyeff couldn’t help but notice how callous Alex’s hands were. “I guess we’ll be seeing each other a lot, huh? I-I mean I have to use a lot of rare books for my paper and I obviously can’t check them out.”  
The blonde nodded with a small hum, moving the cart to the side and out of the way as he turned to lead Alex to where they kept the private books, a walled in area with a lock on the door and a sign that read ‘Rare Book Section: Admittance Restricted, Inquire with Front Desk About Access’. “You are right about that, our rare books don’t leave this room. But so long as you’re careful with them, you can look at them as long as you need. I may leave for a few minutes every now and then since I still have to reshelve books though, so when I do I will have to lock the room with you inside. Are you comfortable with that? If not then you will have to exit the room when I do.”  
“Oh, no I can understand that so I’m ok, so long as you don’t forget about me.” He chuckles a bit beside the taller man who was digging out the key to the room.  
Lyeff chortles a bit, shooting a smile at him as he unlocked the room. “Of course not, I’ve yet to do so in the two years I’ve been here and I don’t plan on starting now.” Alex smiles back at him, following him inside. On the other side of the door was a warmly lit room lined with bookshelves that had glass casings as an extra layer of security, allowing only those with the key to access the books without risking setting off a silent alarm. In the center of the room were a couple of couches and tables with chairs.  
Lyeff closed the door behind them and gestured for the human to take a seat while he looked for the requested book, humming softly to himself. “De Vita Populi, correct?”  
“Yep, it’s about the lives of the people of Rome, from the capital to the colonies of Britain.”  
“Sounds like quite the read, what is your paper on?” He scanned the shelves, while Alex sat down at the table, watching the employee search for the requested book.  
“Oh um, it’s about the lives of the common folk in the different major civilizations, but the teacher said we could get extra credit if we use only book sources in our research.” Unbeknownst to the human, the term ‘extra credit’ was lost on his companion.  
“Interesting, so you thought to use rare books as your sources?”  
“Well, yeah. Everyone else will be using the textbooks and common books in the university library but I wanted to get ahold of knowledge that isn’t as well known for it so I could wow my teacher and maybe get even more extra credit.”  
Lyeff hums in acknowledgement and then satisfaction as he finally found the book, unlocking the glass case and opening it to take the book out. Once in his grasp, he closed the door once more and locked it up, turning to walk over to Alex. “Well the teacher should as least give you something extra for all the excess effort that you’re putting into this paper. I mean, you could have easily just done the same as your classmates.”  
The human shrugs, looking up at the other. “I could have, but I have a higher standard for myself. I like making sure that I’m doing the best I possibly can.”  
“Yeah I can understand that.” He set the book down gently on the table, watching the brunette slide the book to himself and open it before rifling through his backpack, which Lyeff hadn’t noticed until now. Alex pulled out a notebook and pens, different colored ones, probably so he could take notes on his own notes. He believed the term for someone like that was ‘nerd’? He wasn’t quite sure though. Lyeff watched him begin to read and study the book, impressed that he could read latin. As far as he was aware, most humans these days couldn’t.  
A few hours passed and Lyeff came and went every now and then, occasionally exchanging commentary with Alex while they both worked. Though sometimes they would get caught up in the conversation and forget what they were supposed to be doing for a few minutes. Then one of them would remember and excuse themselves, both would laugh a little over having lost track of time and then go back to work, but the situation would repeat itself every now and then. And thus began their routine for the next several weeks.  
About three or four days a week, Alex would arrive at the store and ask after Lyeff, be told where he was and then go find him. The two men would smile and exchange a greeting before heading to the back room, chatting about their days so far and about their pasts a little. Of course, Lyeff had to lie about some things, altering some details about his past so the other didn’t think he was crazy or anything.  
Then they would reach the back room and get to work, Lyeff bringing Alex the book first and then any others that he found that were related to what the customer was researching. Sometimes he even ended up sitting down to help him out with translating some of the books. When he was questioned about his fluency in so many different languages, he just shrugged and said that he had a tutor growing up that made sure he knew as many languages as possible. Thankfully the answer wasn’t questioned as apparently Alex had a relative who had done the same with him. The pair would also start talking about other things, like the outdoors and Lyeff found out that the other was an avid explorer, frequently going on hikes through the woods just because he could. Then after a few hours of working, an alarm would go off on Alex’s phone and he’d apologize before helping Lyeff put away the books and say farewell before leaving the library to return to his dorm.  
After each visit, Lyeff found himself dreading the brunette leaving more and more. He genuinely enjoyed spending time with him, getting this light, fluttery feeling in his chest each time he heard him approach in the aisles of bookshelves. He started to long to hear his soft, gentle voice and see his gorgeous green eyes, full of clever wit and intelligence. Everytime he sat down next to him, he felt himself unintentionally leaning towards him, drawn in by the scent of pine needles and fresh air. He always played it off as trying to get a better look at the book and maybe more than once sat a little closer than he really needed to.  
On the other end of it, Alex never voiced any complaints, even seeming to lean closer too while they worked together. By the ninth visit, a couple weeks in, the human brought in his laptop to start writing the paper, getting a rough draft down. Though sometimes they ended up watching videos on a website called ‘YouTuneIn’ about a variety of things, from funny cat videos (Lyeff had mentioned his cat, named Sarah, had been a stray and did the weirdest things that made him laugh) to conspiracy theory videos (Alex had mentioned that some people thought there was a connection between the Gods of old civilizations and the Christians were covering it up, Lyeff had to force himself not laugh at how right they were.)  
However the demon had no idea what he was feeling just yet. After all, how could he? Demons rarely fell in love and became extremely devoted to the one that they fell in love with. Lyeff, had never fallen in love before, despite being around 2,000 years old in human years. In terms of his species though, he was considered rather young still. But one day, about 3 months into their meetings, he was putting away another trashy romance novel, when he happened to get a glimpse of the synopsis on the back and something caught his eye so he read it real quick.  
...  
Oh no.  
Lyeff almost dropped the book as the realization hit him, limbs feeling like they were filled with lead. He couldn’t be falling in love! His free hand reached up to tangle its fingers in his blonde locks, tugging a little as his dark skin faintly pales at the almost horrifying but mostly worrying feeling in the pit of his stomach. He can’t be in love, not yet at least, it was still too soon after his escape! Any possible trail he could have left would still be too fresh! For all he knew, there were hunters just waiting for him to screw up and reveal himself. Oh father he was going to put both of them in danger! He should just leave now before he falls too far into this to escape. He shelved the book and turns abruptly to head to the door of the library, intending to leave without a word, pack up his things and Sarah, and flee the city.  
Just as he reached the end of the aisle, however, Alex walked inside the library and spotted him, smiling. Lyeff felt his heart skip a beat, literally since it it froze for a moment as magic, drawn out by his anxiety, coursed through his veins, as he saw the human smile, and not just any kind of smile. The one that you smile at some random thing that you like, but a soft, genuine, almost tender smile directly caused by Alex seeing him.  
Too late.  
He could feel himself smile back, even as his warning bells went off, his inner self trying to remind him that he was going to drag the human into danger, but he couldn’t help himself. His own smile only grew as the brunette hurried over to him, a faint blush painting his cheeks. “H-hey there, Lyeff. Having a good day so far?”  
“Oh uh- Yeah today’s been good. I was just taking a small break from shelving to go and get a coffee from next door. Want to join me?” Oh father why did he ask that?! He was internally yelling at himself for making this worse but he couldn’t bring himself to care when the blush only deepened a little on Alex’s face.  
“Y-yeah that sounds nice. A-and um i-it’s not like I can get much work done without you anyway...” He trailed off, looking away from him shyly. Oh father he was so freaking cute, even his internal self agreed with that.  
“Well I suppose that’s true.” The book they were currently working on was written in Russian, a language that Lyeff knew but Alex didn’t. “How’s the essay coming?” He asked him as they made their way to the door, only turning away to let Darlene, the woman on check-out today, know that he was going on break. He could feel the stare of a few customers follow him out, several of them having been people he had rejected. He hoped they didn’t try to cause any issues...  
The pair chatted a bit about the younger’s assignment as they walked to the cafe next door. It was an early spring day so it was just chilly enough that nobody was sitting outside. Inside it was surprisingly not very busy for a weekend day, so the cozy little cafe had plenty of places to sit. They both ordered some coffee and a pastry each, Lyeff insisting that he pay for Alex’s as well, which only made the younger blush more, his cheeks rosy by this point. Once they received their orders, they sat down in a quiet booth next to the window so they could people watch while they chatted, sipping their coffees.  
The demon smiles at the other, almost feeling himself fall further into love the more they talked, the brunette talking about this clearing in the woods near here that he found and was growing increasingly animated in his movements as he described it, green eyes sparkling with enthusiasm and wonder. There was no denying it now, he was falling in love with this kind, adorable, dorky human. Then Alex asked him if he liked hiking, breaking him from his train of thought.  
“Oh, um. I’ve honestly never gone hiking before, but from the way you describe it, it sounds like it would be a lot of fun.” He answered honestly, the closest he could call a hike was him fleeing for his life. He doubted that counted.  
“Really? You should join me on a hike! The weather is supposed to be really nice next Saturday, are you free for this next weekend?”  
“Yeah I think so, I mean Angie and Annette kind of just let me pick and choose my work days since I’m technically just a shelver.”  
“Awesome! Here,” Alex took out a pad of sticky notes and a pen from his backpack and wrote down a location and time before peeling it off and handing it to Lyeff who took it and read what was written. “We can stay in a nearby motel that I know since it’s about between half an hour to an hour to get there and back. So we don’t have to worry about getting back on the road before rush hour and we can just enjoy ourselves and even stay until Sunday. Oh um- Do you have a car?”  
“No, but I can always just ask Angie if I can borrow her car.” He didn’t know how to drive, but he could just use a tiny bit of magic to get it to drive itself. “I usually just walk since my apartment is near here.”  
“Alright sounds good, my car is over there.” He points to a parked deep blue 67 mustang, a sight that made Lyeff raise an eyebrow. Even he knew it was odd for a college student to have, based on what Alex had learned from over hearing a couple of customers chatting about ‘nice cars’, was a VERY nice car that was pretty expensive sometimes.  
“That’s a nice car for a college student.” Alex blushed and rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly.  
“It’s actually my great aunt’s but she gave it to me while I’m in school, so long as my grades remain good and I don’t damage it.”  
“Makes sense.” Or at least he thinks it does, he still wasn’t very well versed in what was socially acceptable yet, and that included what was considered ‘normal’. After that they talked for a bit longer, agreeing to split the cost for the motel and that Alex would bring snacks and drinks for the hike but Lyeff would pay for meals in exchange. They then exchanged phone numbers so they could keep in contact and make sure they could tell the other if something came up. After that they finished their drinks and cleaned up their table before returning to the library and making their way to the back room once more.  
On the outside, he looked completely calm, if not smiling a little, but inside, the demon was a torrent of mixed feelings. He was falling for the human but that alone brought the complication of how he was going to protect him if he decided to stay. He had no doubt that he was still being hunted and his hunters would be waiting for him to slip up, taking advantage of any sign of weakness. As they walked into the backroom, he forced the dark thoughts to the back of his mind, deciding to just figure it out when he got home that night. For now, he simply got the book they needed and sat down next to Alex, and if he was a little closer than before well, neither of them said anything.  
The next week went by quickly and soon enough it was Saturday morning and Lyeff was parked beside the mouth of the forest trail.  
Lyeff was growing nervous, the human was late. Was he being punked (he had learned the term by reading a book about the 1990s in New York)...? No, he didn’t think Alex was capable of doing something so cruel. The brunette was too sweet and friendly to pull such a stunt, especially after all the time they’ve spent getting to know each other. No the human wasn’t probably just caught up in the morning hustle and was running behind. Or even was just not that good at tracking time like Lyeff was. He checked his watch, 7:30am. Well... they had agreed to meet at 7:15 so he wasn’t really that late. He would wait until 8, if Alex didn’t show by then... His heart ached at the thought, chest tightening and making him swallow a lump in his throat. He really hoped he was just late.  
Finally about 10 minutes later he saw Alex, turning to see his blue mustang pulling in beside his car, a grey 2016 Ford Fusion, and get out. The demon felt a wave of relief wash over him as the brunette ran towards him, brown curls bouncing in the wind made by his quick movements and face flushed in embarrassment and guilt.  
“I’m so sorry I’m late! I got stuck behind some moron driving almost 20 miles UNDER the speed limit and every time I tried to pass there were always cars coming from the other direction.”  
“It’s alright, I’m just glad you’re here. When you didn’t reply to my text I was starting to get worried that I was being stood up.” He smiles a bit teasingly at the brunette, though that was kind of true.  
His companion flushed a bit more and shrugs in apology, smiling a little. “N-no I wouldn’t ever want to do that. I mean... You’re the nicest guy I’ve ever met a-and I really like spending time with you.”  
“I really like spending time with you too...” They stood in awkward silence for a moment or two before they both moved to grab the packs from Alex’s car. Each took one and slung them over their backs before Lyeff gestures for the brunette to take the lead.  
While they walked in silence, the demon kept reassuring himself that his plan to confess would work and he had nothing to worry about. Eventually the silence grew to a point where it was beginning to grow uncomfortable, things unsaid between both of them. So Alex started to point out the different things that they walked past. So caught up in his thoughts, Lyeff hadn’t noticed their surroundings, but now he did and he was in awe, almost like when had seen the night sky for the first time.  
The trail they walked was unpaved but clean and well trod, the earth beneath their feet packed firm and bare of plants save for a few hardy weeds. It wound through thick woods of mostly younger trees, a mixture of mostly pines, oaks and maples though there were some birch trees and others mixed in too. There was plenty of thorny undergrowth as well, but this early in spring there was few full leaves, mostly buds or baby leaves on the plants around them. Above them, through the branches, they could just make out the sun rising from the horizon. It was still a bit chilly since the sun hadn’t yet been given a chance to warm the earth up but they were wearing hoodies and jeans so they were comfortable. It was mostly quiet aside from Alex’s talking, some distant birdsong guiding the rest of the wildlife to either waking up or to going to sleep.  
Overall, it was peaceful morning and he felt himself calming down to his very innerself. All anxiety and nervousness fading away as he absorbed his surroundings. After about half an hour of walking, Alex stopped beside a smaller trail and pulled out a small machete from his backpack. At the demon’s raised brow, he shrugged. “This trail isn’t used as often and the side trail off of this one that I’m going to take you down isn’t maintained that well so we may need to clear the way.”  
“Fair enough.”  
With that, they began down the smaller trail, chatting a little while they enjoyed their surroundings, finally beginning to relax, though there was still some tension between them from words unsaid. This time it took about 45 minutes to reach the side trail that Alex had mentioned and Lyeff could tell he had been telling the truth about it not being maintained well. Unlike the first two trails, this one was a bit more uneven and had tendrils of poisonous and thorny undergrowth draped over the ground. Alex took the lead, the trail was also only wide enough for one person at a time, and used his machete to clear away anything in their path. Because of the state of the trail, it took them longer to reach their goal than it would have, had the way been as well maintained as the other trails. But finally, after about over an hour, the human let out a cry of triumph as he broke through the last of the undergrowth and into a clearing.  
Lyeff looked around in awe as he walked into the clearing behind his companion, it was a small space but the grass was already thick and green here. At the center was a tiny pond with a couple of boulders at one end that made for a perfect place to sit and relax in the sun, which by this point was well into the sky, warming them up enough to allow them to open their hoodies. He grins at Alex as he stepped up beside him. “You’re right, this place is gorgeous. Thank you for bringing me here.”  
The human blushed and scuffed his foot a little with a small smile. “I-it was nothing... It’s just really nice to know that I can share this place with someone...” He looked up at Lyeff, eyes unreadable to the demon. “I’ve never had a lot of friends, even fewer who actually liked the same things that I do and um...” He seemed to hesitate, turning to face him and taking a deep breath. “I-I w-was um... I was h-hoping tha-that we cou-could come more often a-as... Boyfriends...?” His face flushed a deep scarlet, eyes fighting to stay locked with Lyeff’s.  
His breath hitched in his throat and he looked down at the human with a sense of wonderment. “I-I um...” He wanted to say yes, oh father did he want to say yes but...  
“B-before I answer that I...” He looked away, all the nervousness from earlier that morning and what had been building up the whole week came to a boil in his mind. “I have to tell you something a-and I don’t know how you’ll react...” He took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he did and opening them as he released it. “I’m not human. And my last name isn’t really Runar.”  
He could see confusion building behind the eyes of Alex but before he could ask anything, Lyeff continued. “My name is Lyeff Malik and I’m... I’m a demon. A-and before you think I’m trying to punk you or something, I can prove it. But I... I have to say first that... I’m being hunted by my own kind, because I was framed for something I didn’t do... I-If you go out with me y-you will be at risk of getting caught in the crossfire...” He trailed off as he watched the gears working in the mind of the human.  
“A demon...? Huh. I did NOT see that coming. I thought you were going to say you were straight for a second there.” He laughs a bit, though it was sort of dry. “Alright then... Prove it to me. I don’t want to still be asking you out if you’re just a lying asshole.”  
The blonde was stunned by his words and seeming nonchalance about this and he nodded, starting to take his hoodie and shirt off. “W-wait what are you doing?” Alex’s face was turning a bit red as Lyeff revealed his muscular abdomen, setting his clothes down on top of the backpack that he sat of the ground of the clearing.  
“I don’t want to rip my shirt and hoodie, I like them and they were expensive. I purposely wore looser jeans though so I- um... I’m not taking them off.” He reassured the other before stepping back a few feet. “Ready?”  
At Alex’s nod, he closed his eyes and took a breath as he drew his magic to himself. “This takes a lot of energy to do, so I hope you brought plenty of snacks since I have to do this twice.” Before Alex could ask anything else the demon’s form began to change. Slowly there was the sound of bones popping and cracking a little and Lyeff began to grow taller, growing more than a foot.  
His skin grew darker until it was practically black as coal, swirling lines of silver and gold filigree now sprawling across the black expanse. His hair grew denser and more heavy as well and from the sides of his forehead a pair of golden rams horns inlaid with lapis lazuli grew, spiraling out on either side of his face. From his back, a pair of black dragon-like wings stretched out and filled in, the inner lining of the webbing was the same black as his skin but patterned with even more intricate swirls of silver and gold, lower down his spine a 4 ft long tail sprouted, prehensile, whip-thin and tipped with gold spines not unlike that of a porcupine. His nails were now golden claws with ridges like that of steak knives. On his sides, two more pairs of arms grew, one from the sides of his ribs and the other just above his hips.  
Finally, three serpentine eyes opened from his face, two in the normal spot and the third in the center of his forehead, the pupils slits. When he looked once more at the human, nervous, he was shocked to see that instead of him freaking out, he was practically bouncing up and down in excitement, a beaming grin on his face. “Oh my gosh you really are a demon!!! This is so cool!”  
He let out a nervous laugh, tail tip flicking a little and wings stretching out for the first time in years. “Y-yeah I guess and... Very risky.”  
“Oh. Right.” He calmed down a bit, no longer vibrating with nerdy excitement. “You’re being hunted. Why... if I may ask, are you being hunted? You said you were framed...? Also, how come I never noticed that you were a demon? I thought demons always had something that always gave away their disguise?” The human watched the demon’s wings crumble a little as the massive creature looked down, whether ashamed, guilty or just depressed, Alex couldn’t tell. After a moment of silence, he replied.  
“I was framed for being the downfall of my species... We’re a dying race and someone claims that it’s because of me, so I was chased out of my own home. As for why you couldn’t tell I am a demon, that’s because I’m not a normal lower class demon, I am, or perhaps was, the only heir to the throne of my species, a prince if you would. Royal blooded demons like me can disguise themselves perfectly, so long as we don’t say something stupid to give us away. I fled to the human plane about 3 years ago to hide and took on a human persona. I was trying to stay unattached just in case I was was found out, probably until things died down in a couple decades but then... I met you.”  
Alex’s breath hitched at the partial confession. Lyeff walked over and hesitantly held out a hand to the human, who took it almost reverently, his own hand dwarfed by the demon’s. “I... I am falling in love with you, Alex. And I’m worried if I’ll be able to protect you if I stay here.”  
“W-what do you mean...?”  
“I mean that for my kind... We don’t fall in love often, and when we do, we are completely devoted to our partner. That means that you could be used by bounty or demon hunters as leverage against me and... I don’t want you to get hurt. I don’t know if I can stay here, knowing I’d be putting you at risk.”  
The human’s expression turned sad for a minute before it grew a bit sheepish then. “Um... I guess it’s my own turn to confess something... My family is a part of a long line of demon hunters... But we haven’t seen any in like, decades, so even though I was trained to hunt demons, you’re the first I’ve met... And I’m falling in love with you too. I can protect myself so please... Stay with me...?” He looked up at the black creature pleadingly. “I still want to date you i-if you’ll have me...”  
Lyeff’s eyes widen in shock at the revelation, thinking about the irony of this situation, that here he was trying to hide from hunters and now he was in love with one. Now that he thought about it, a lot of little things that he had noticed were strange about Alex made a lot more sense, like the fact that he could read, write and speak in so many different languages. Or how one time he had caught a book that Lyeff had dropped by accident when he slipped on a loose floorboard without even looking. After a moment to absorb this, he nods and laughs softly with a soft smile. “Well I suppose I don’t really have a reason to argue now huh? I would love to be your boyfriend. But promise me that your family won’t try to kill me, eh?” He laughs a little, Alex joining a moment later. Their laughter echoed in the sunlit clearing for a few minutes before they calmed down, looking each other in the eyes as they absorbed this moment, Alex’s human hands practically engulfed by Lyeff’s. The world seemed to stop around them, nothing but the other in their thoughts as they held hands well away from prying eyes.  
Or so they thought.


End file.
